Tuesday, 16 December 2025
When seen in their natural habitat, Black Kites are quite spectacular as they soar effortlessly in the wind, their long, forked tails constantly twisting to manoeuvre the bird in the right direction while searching for food on the ground below, or skilfully catching insects on the wing. When indulging in spectacular aerial courtship displays, these kites often perform dramatic spiralling and rolling flights, accompanied by grappling of talons.
Most cities have a group of birds which has adopted scavenging habits to match our society’s wasteful ways. When presented with an abundance of discarded food, their populations may increase accordingly. In the capital cities of southern Australia, the most obvious scavengers are Silver Gulls, Australian White Ibis and various ravens; in northern and outback Australia, the most obvious are the Black Kites which circle ceaselessly above the towns, cities and suburbs. They are probably the most common species of raptor in the world, scavenging throughout Eurasia and much of Africa as well as large sections of mainland Australia.
It is their propensity for scavenging that has allowed Black Kites to flourish in cities like Darwin and elsewhere where the suburbs are home to a diverse range of wildlife, and there is much flattened fauna on the roads to provide a regular meal. In addition, Black Kites are also readily attracted to any fire, and great numbers can often be seen wheeling about in the smoke, looking ahead of the fire-front to find any small creatures that may be frantically fleeing the flames, or picking up the burnt remains of those that were not quick enough to escape. Black Kites are also lured to local rubbish tips like moths to a flame, and hundreds may congregate at the tip to squabble over scraps. Other similarly distasteful sites favoured by these kites include abattoirs, piggeries and sewage ponds.
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